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Africa in 1940

This map shows the 23 states and peoples the data has for Africa in that year.

Map of Africa in 1940 with 23 states and peoples
Borders: Cliopatria, Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coarse outlines: check and adjust them for your story.

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States and peoples in Africa in 1940

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • French Africa
  • British Africa
  • Italian Africa
  • Belgian Congo
  • South Africa
  • Estado Novo
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Free French
  • Kingdom of Egypt
  • Pahlavi Dynasty
  • Kingdom of Iraq
  • Francoist Spain
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Republic of Turkey
  • French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon
  • North Yemen
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
  • First Hellenic Republic
  • Kingdom of Italy
  • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • Nazi Germany
  • Tangier International Zone

New on the map since 1915

South Africa · Estado Novo · Kingdom of Saudi Arabia · Free French · Kingdom of Egypt · Pahlavi Dynasty · Kingdom of Iraq · Francoist Spain · Republic of Turkey · French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon · North Yemen · Union of Soviet Socialist Republics · Nazi Germany

Gone from the map by 1965

French Africa · British Africa · Italian Africa · Belgian Congo · Free French · Kingdom of Egypt · Kingdom of Iraq · French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon · Sultanate of Muscat and Oman · First Hellenic Republic · Kingdom of Italy · Nazi Germany · Tangier International Zone

Animated maps of this time

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1940

The outlines are coarse and follow the Cliopatria dataset: borders before modern surveys are estimates, and a blank area means the data has no state on record there, not that nobody lived there. A state that changed hands during the year can appear together with its successor.